Yemen: MSF treats 34 wounded after airstrike on camp for displaced people

More than two dozen people injured in an airstrike today at a displaced persons camp in northern Yemen have been treated by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

The bombardment this morning hit the Al Mazraq camp, located in Hajjah Governorate. At least 34 people wounded in the attack were brought by ambulance to the MSF-supported hospital in the town of Haradh.

Twenty-nine people were dead on arrival, among them women and children. According to witnesses, the airstrike may have caused a larger number of wounded.

Airstrike on camp

“People in Al Mazraq camp have been living in very harsh conditions since 2009, and now they have suffered the consequences of an airstrike on the camp,” said Pablo Marco, operational manager for Yemen.

“We call all parties to spare civilians from violence, respect the neutrality of medical facilities and staff, and allow unhindered access to medical assistance for the wounded.”

Al Mazraq camp was established in 2009, when thousands of people fled fighting between government troops and Houthi forces in Saada Governorate.

Surinyach Anna/MSF

“People in Al Mazraq camp have been living in very harsh conditions since 2009, and now they have suffered the consequences of an airstrike on the camp”

Escaping bombing

Roughly 500 new families arrived in the camp over the last two days, escaping bombings in the western area of Saada.

In the south of Yemen, MSF has received more than 500 patients since 19 March at its emergency surgical unit in Aden, amidst clashes in Aden, Lahj and other areas in the south.

In Ad-Dhale’ governate, where MSF supports the emergency wards in Al-Nasser Hospital and in Qataba, 67 wounded have been admitted since 24 March.

MSF in Yemen

MSF first worked in Yemen in 1986 and has been working continuously in the country since 2007. MSF currently runs medical projects in Sana’a, Amran, Aden and Ad-Dhale’ governorates in Yemen, and provides medical aid to different parts of the country during emergencies.